Drone strike on Riyadh oil refinery sparks small fire
Riyadh, March 11
An oil refinery in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, was attacked by a drone, causing a small fire that did not cause injuries or affect supplies, the energy ministry said on Friday.
The statement did not specify where the drone strike was launched from. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The kingdom’s oil facilities have been a target of Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the past. The Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a shocking attack in 2019 at the Abqaiq oil processing facility in Eastern Province, which temporarily knocked out half of the kingdom’s daily production.
The ministry statement, published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, was released shortly after midnight on Friday confirming that the attack took place around 4.40 am on Thursday.
The ministry said such attacks not only target Saudi Arabia, but also the security and stability of energy supply to the world.
